System for monitoring connection pattern of data ports

ABSTRACT

The present invention determines and monitors the connection pattern of data ports which are connected by multiconductor cables. An adapter jacket having an external contact is placed over a standardized cable such as an RJ45 cable which connects the data ports. An adapter board having a plurality of socket contacts is placed adjacent a plurality of data ports. An output and input module are coupled to the socket contacts. A micro-processor which is coupled to the output and input module scans the socket contacts to determine the connection pattern of the data ports.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application is a division of copending U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 09/937,983, filed on Oct. 3, 2001, which is theNational Stage of International Application No. PCT/SG00/00045, filedApr. 5, 2000, which claims priority to Singapore Patent Application Nos.9901521-6, filed Apr. 6, 1999, and 200001891-1, filed Apr. 5, 2000.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The present invention relates to the field of cabled systems andrelated computer peripheral devices, and more particularly to a systemand method for determining interconnection pattern of data ports withoutrequiring special patching cables or patching panels.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] The problems of tracking the interconnection pattern among thevarious ports in a local area network are well known to those skilled inthe art. At least one system which deals with this problem is describedin the U.S. Pat. No. 5,483,467 entitled “Patching Panel Scanner”. Thepatent describes a patching panel scanner which automatically andcontinuously senses the interconnection arrangement of various portssuch as computer ports and user ports. In this type of system, theinterconnection between the ports are provided by patching cables oralternatively by apparatus of internal connection in patching panelssuch as the CLPP cordless patching panel available from RIT TechnologiesLtd. of Tel Aviv, Israel.

[0004] In this type of system, in order to determine theinterconnectivity pattern of the various ports, a conductor needs tointerconnect the ports and deliver a signal to the scanner indicatingthe connection status of a particular port. In the modern computer era,it is actually difficult to provide a conductor for this purpose becausemost modern data cables being used to interconnect various devices haveto meet a particular pre-determined standard in the industry. So forinstance, a standard cable such as RJ45 eight wires per cable, eachhaving an end which is adapted to mate with an RJ45 port. No free wireallows for scanning for interconnectivity.

[0005] Therefore, in the prior art scanner systems, the ports needed tobe interconnected via a patch panel which required a special patch cableor an apparatus of internal connections in the patch panels. In anycase, the ports could not be connected directly using standard cables.Although the need for and desirability of having a scanner system whichcan utilize standard cables clearly exist, so far, the industry has beenunable to come up with such a system.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

[0006] It is therefore an objective of the present invention to providea system for monitoring and determining the interconnectivity of portswhich overcomes the shortcomings of the prior art system describedabove.

[0007] More particularly, it is an object of present invention toprovide a system for monitoring and determining the interconnectivity ofports which does not require special patch panels or patch cables.

[0008] More particularly, it is an object of present invention toprovide a system for monitoring and determining the interconnectivity ofports which utilizes standard connection cables.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0009] The present invention determines and monitors the connectionpattern of data ports which are connected by multiconductor cableswithout requiring special patch cables or patch panels. In order toelectronically determine the connectivity between one port to another,it is generally well understood that an electrical conductor needs toconnect one port to the other. Although this principle is well known, inthe modem era where many of the standardized cables such as RJ11 andRJ45 are used, it is difficult to provide this dedicated conductor forconnectivity-scanning purposes because each of the wires within thecable is used for a standardized purpose which may interfere with theconnectivity-scanning operation.

[0010] In the present connectivity monitoring system, a dedicatedconductor which may be attached to an existing cable is provided. Theconductor interacts with an adapter board which is attached to a portwhere the cable is to be connected. To provide an additional contactpoint for the scanning operation, an adapter jacket is provided whichattaches to an RJ45 jack. The adapter jacket is attached to the jack atboth ends of the cable. The additional contact point for the scanningoperation is provided via an external contact located on the outside ofthe adapter jacket. An external conductor wire connects the externalcontact of the jack at each end of the cable such that the contact ateach respective end will be electrically coupled to each other.

[0011] To provide a contact point for the external contact of theadapter jacket at the port site, an adapter board is provided above theport sockets with each of the sockets having a socket contact. Thesocket contact is positioned such that when the RJ45 jack having theadapter jacket is inserted into a socket, the contact of the adapterjacket electrically mates with the socket contact of the adapter board.

[0012] In the overall system, the adapter board is coupled to an outputmodule and an input module. The output driver module has a plurality ofoutput drivers, and the receiver module has a plurality of latches(other similar electronic devices can be used instead of latches). Eachof the socket contacts is uniquely connected to one output driver andone latch. The output module and the input module are both coupled to amicro-processor which is in turn coupled to a communication interface.The system may be coupled to a local area network or to a computer toreport the information regarding the connection pattern.

[0013] Both the output module and the input module can be implementedusing standard IC devices. The main function of the output module is toprovide a plurality of output drivers which address the adapter contactsand to send a signal to the contacts when instructed to do so by themicro-processor. The main function of the input module is to provide aplurality of latches (or other similar devices) which also address thecontacts and to receive the signal sent by the output drivers. Thecommunication interface can also be implemented using standard devicescurrently available to interface between the micro-processor and localarea network and electronic devices.

[0014] Now to describe the operation of the present system, themicro-processor has pre-designated one output driver as a first driverand the socket contact which it is connected to as the first contact.The latch in the input module which is connected to the designated firstcontact is designated as the first latch. The port corresponding to thefirst socket contact is considered to be the first port. Another driveris pre-designated as a second driver, and its corresponding socketcontact is designated as a second contact and its corresponding latch isdesignated as a second latch. The same designation scheme is applied tothird, fourth, fifth, and so on, driver/contact/latch groupings suchthat all groups are uniquely designated.

[0015] Initially, all of the socket contacts are at low state with nosignal being sent to them by the output module. To monitor theconnectivity of the various ports, the micro-processor causes thedesignated first output driver to send out a pulse signal to the socketcontact which the micro-processor has designated as the first contact.This places the first socket contact at a high state, and consequently,also places the first latch in the input module at the high state. Aftersending out the signal, the micro-processor scans the input module for alatch having a high state. If only the first latch indicates a high,then the micro-processor concludes that no valid connection has beenmade between the first port and another port. If, however, a port otherthan the first port, port one, indicates a high state, for instance portseven, then the micro-processor concludes that the port is validlyconnected to port seven. Once the connectivity state of port one isdetermined, the result is stored in memory and the same process isrepeated for port two and so on until all of the ports' connectionstatus has been determined.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016]FIG. 1A is a perspective illustration of a current RJ45 cablewhich can be adapted to work with the present system.

[0017]FIG. 1B is a perspective illustration of the RJ45 cable of FIG. 1Awhich has been fitted with an adapter jacket of the present invention.

[0018]FIG. 1C is an isolated perspective illustration of an adapterjacket of the present invention which is adapted for an RJ45 cable jack.

[0019]FIG. 2 is a front view of a plurality of RJ45 sockets fitted withan adapter board of the present invention.

[0020]FIG. 3 is a simplified schematic illustration of the presentconnectivity monitoring system.

[0021]FIG. 4 is a simplified schematic illustration which shows therelationship between the output drivers, the socket contacts, and thereceiver latches.

[0022]FIGS. 5, 5A, 5B, 5C illustrate various other standard cables whichcan be adapted for use with the present system.

[0023]FIGS. 6, 6A, 6B, 6C illustrate various other standard cables whichcan be adapted for use with the present system.

[0024]FIGS. 7, 7A, 7B, 7C illustrate various other standard cables whichcan be adapted for use with the present system.

[0025]FIG. 8 is a simplified schematic illustration of the presentconnectivity monitoring system incorporating the optional diagnosticpen.

[0026]FIG. 9 is a simplified schematic illustration which shows therelationship between the output drivers, the socket contacts, thereceiver latches, and the pen input latch.

[0027]FIG. 10 illustrates an embodiment where the external contact is apin which is supported by a spring.

[0028]FIG. 11 illustrates an embodiment where the external contact isplaced in the jack itself.

[0029]FIG. 12 illustrates adapter strip which is fabricated out of flextape.

[0030]FIG. 13 is a simplified schematic illustration of the presentconnectivity monitoring system incorporating the optional diagnostic penand LCD units.

[0031]FIG. 14 is a simplified schematic illustration which shows therelationship between the output drivers, the socket contacts, thereceiver latches, the pen input latch, and LCD drivers.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0032] In order to electronically determine the connectivity between oneport to another, it is generally well understood that an electricalconductor needs to connect one port to the other. Although thisprinciple is well known, in the modern era where many of thestandardized multiconductor cables such as RJ11 and RJ45 are used, it isdifficult to provide this dedicated conductor for connectivity-scanningpurposes because each of the wires within the cable is used for astandardized purpose which may interfere with the connectivity-scanningoperation. Although it may be possible to share an existing wire in thecable for the scanning operation, this would require additionalcircuitry for differentiating between the signals used for the scanningpurposes and the signals used for other purposes such as data transfer.Moreover, in many cases, it may be impossible to effectively share anexisting wire or conductor.

[0033] In the present connectivity monitoring system, a dedicatedconductor which may be attached to an existing cable is provided. Theconductor interacts with an adapter board which is attached to a portwhere the cable is to be connected. Although in describing the preferredembodiment of the present invention, a specific cable/port combinationutilizing a common standard such as RJ45 will be shown, it should beappreciated that this is done for illustration purposes only, and is notmeant to limit the present invention to this illustrative example.

[0034] Now in referring to FIG. 1A, a standard RJ45 cable 3 having ajack 5 is shown. Although only one end of the cable is shown here inFIG. 1A for illustration purposes, it should be understood that asimilar jack is attached to the other end of the cable. The RJ45 jack 5has eight standard contact points 6. To provide an additional contactpoint for the scanning operation, an adapter jacket 7, FIG. 1C, isprovided which attaches to the RJ45 jack as shown in FIG. 1B. Theadapter jacket is attached to the jack 5 at both ends of the cable 3(though only one is shown in the figure). The additional contact pointfor the scanning operation is provided via an external contact 8 locatedon the outside of the adapter jacket 7. An external conductor wire 9connects the external contact 8 of the jack 5 at each end of the cable 3such that the contact 8 at each respective end will be electricallycoupled to each other.

[0035] Now referring to FIG. 2, a plurality of RJ45 sockets is shownwhich are standard sockets which mate with a standard RJ45 jack. Thesockets may be ports for a network equipment such as a 10 Base-T hub,PABX, and keyphone system, or may be part of a patch panel, though aspecial patch panel is not required for a successful operation of thepresent system. To provide a contact point for the external contact 8 ofthe adapter jacket 7, an adapter board 14 is provided above the sockets12 with each of the sockets 12 having a socket contact 15. The socketcontact 15 is positioned such that when the RJ45 jack 5 having theadapter jacket 7, as shown in FIG. 1B, is inserted into a socket 12 ofFIG. 2, the contact 8 of the adapter jacket 7 electrically mates withthe socket contact 15 of the adapter board 14. Although here the adapterboard 14 is shown to carry a plurality of socket contacts 15, it isentirely possible, and sometimes desirable, to have an adapter board 14which carries only one socket contact which is used on a single isolatedsocket.

[0036] Referring now to FIG. 3, a simplified schematic illustration ofthe present system 1 is shown. The adapter board 14 of FIG. 2 is coupledto an output module 18 and input module 19. As shown in more detail inFIG. 4, the output driver module 18 has a plurality of output drivers20, and the receiver module 19 has a plurality of latches 25 (othersimilar electronic devices can be used instead of latches). Each of thesocket contacts 15 is uniquely connected to one output driver 20 and onelatch 25. The output module 18 and the input module 19 are both coupledto a micro-processor 21 which is in turn coupled to a communicationinterface 22. The system 1 may be coupled to a local area network 23 orto a computer 24 to report the information regarding connectivity.

[0037] Both the output module and input module can be implemented usingstandard IC devices. The main function of the output module 18 is toprovide a plurality of output drivers 20 which address adapter contacts15 and to send a signal to the contacts 15 when instructed to do so bythe micro-processor 21. The main function of the input module 19 is toprovide a plurality of latches 25 (or other similar devices) which alsoaddress the contacts 15 and to receive the signal sent by the outputdrivers. The communication interface 22 can also be implemented usingstandard devices currently available to interface between themicro-processor 21 and local area network 23 and electronic devices.

[0038] Now to describe the system 1 in greater detail, the adapter board14 shown in FIG. 3 is placed over port sockets (not shown in FIG. 3 butshown in FIG. 2). The micro-processor 21 has pre-designated one outputdriver as a first driver and the socket contact which it is connected toas the first contact. The latch in the input module 19 which isconnected to the designated first contact is designated as the firstlatch. The port corresponding to the first socket contact is consideredto be the first port. Another driver is pre-designated as a seconddriver, and its corresponding socket contact is designated as a secondcontact and its corresponding latch is designated as a second latch. Thesame designation scheme is applied to third, fourth, fifth, and so on,driver/contact/latch groupings such that all groups are uniquelydesignated. Of course, the designations are somewhat arbitrary and theparticular designation number or scheme is not important so long as theindividual groupings are uniquely traceable by the micro-processor 21.

[0039] Initially, all of the socket contacts 15 are at low state with nosignal being sent to them by the output module 18. To monitor theconnectivity of the various ports, the micro-processor 21 causes thedesignated first output driver to send out a pulse signal to the socketcontact 15 which the micro-processor 21 has designated as the firstcontact. This places the first socket contact at a high state, andconsequently, also places the first latch in the input module 19 at thehigh state. After sending out the signal, the micro-processor 21 scansthe input module 19 for a latch having a high state. If only the firstlatch indicates a high, then the micro-processor 21 concludes that novalid connection has been made between the first port and another port.If, however, a port other than the first port, port one, indicates ahigh state, for instance port seven, then the micro-processor 21concludes that the port 1 is validly connected to port seven. Once theconnectivity state of port one is determined, the result is stored inmemory and the same process is repeated for port two and so on until allof the ports' connection status has been determined.

[0040] While other scanning scheme can be employed with the presentsystem, the scheme described above is the one employed in the preferredembodiment. The advantage of the scheme described above is that itallows any port to be connected to any other port. This is unlike patchpanel scanning systems where one panel may need to be designated as theinput panel, and the other panel is designated as the output panel, anda cable needs to connect a port from the output panel to a port from theinput panel. The cable cannot connect, for instance, a port from theinput panel to another port from the same input panel. This feature isparticularly useful for the present invention because no special patchpanels are required, and so the ports may be randomly spread out in noparticular order.

[0041] In some situations, a user may wish to know the identity of aparticular data port which has been fitted with the present invention.In previous systems, unless the port is properly labeled at the socketsite, it is difficult for a user to ascertain the identity of the portwithout tracing the cable connecting the port all the way to its source.To provide a solution to this problem, the present system can optionallyinclude a diagnostic pen which can assist in identifying a port simplyby making contact with the socket contact corresponding to the port theuser wishes to identify.

[0042] The block diagram of the present system incorporating thisdiagnostic pen is shown in FIG. 8. As shown in FIG. 8, the pen 80 has anelectrically conductive tip 82. The tip 82 is electrically coupled to apen input module 84. The pen input module 84 is communicably coupled tothe micro-processor 21. As shown in greater detail in FIG. 9, the peninput module 84 basically comprise a single latch 27 (or other similardevice) for receiving an electrical signal.

[0043] To determine which socket contact 15 is making contact with thetip 82 of the diagnostic pen 80, the micro-processor 21 continuallymonitors the status of the pen input module 84. As explained above, theoutput module continually sends out an electrical signal to each of thesocket contacts 15. Because each of the socket contacts 15 is uniquelyaddressed at the output module 18, each socket contact 15 is uniquelytraceable. Therefore, the micro-processor 21 is always able to uniquelydetermine which socket contact 15 is being sent the electrical signal bythe output module 18 at any given moment. Initially, when the tip 82 ofthe pen 80 is not making contact with any of the socket contacts, thepen input module 84 is at a low state because it has not receive anyelectrical signal. When the tip 82 touches one of the socket contacts15, however, the pen input module 84 goes high. By determining whichsocket contact 15 the output module 18 has sent the signal to when thepen input module 84 goes high, the micro-processor 21 is able todetermine which socket contact 15 has made contact with the pen tip 82.The data port corresponding to that particular socket contact 15 thencan be identified.

[0044] To further assist in the identification of the data ports, andalso to facilitate greater flexibility to the present system, thepresent system can optionally further include liquid crystal display(LCD) units 100 for each of the ports as shown in FIG. 13. The LCD units100 are mounted adjacent to the data ports, and are communicably coupledto an LCD module 102. The detailed schematic is shown in FIG. 14. TheLCD module 102 basically comprise a plurality of output drivers 28 whichare uniquely connected to the LCD units 100. The LCD units 100 willindicate information about a particular port, or a row of ports. Forinstance, the LCD unit may indicate the device which is connected to theport, the user name, IP address, etc. The LCD may be used in conjunctionwith the pen 80 such that by touching the socket contact of a particularport, the micro-processor sends the information about the port to theLCD unit corresponding to the socket contact which made contact with thepen 80. The LCD units 100 may also carry an interactive feature where auser can select different options based on a simple menu such as aYES/NO menu scheme where the user can indicate his choice by touchingthe socket contact (or alternatively a separate dedicated contact padfor the LCD units) with the pen 80. Although here the LCD units 100 wereshown here to be separate units, it should be understood that a singlecontinuous strip of LCD may be used.

[0045] Although the present invention has been illustrated using theRJ45 standard, one skilled in the art should appreciate that the presentinvention can be implemented using other existing standards. Some suchexamples are shown in FIGS. 5, 6, and 7, where the currently availableSC connectors, ST connectors, and BNC connectors, respectively, arefitted with an adapter jacket and their respective ports are providedwith an adapter board.

[0046] In FIGS. 5, 5A, 5B, and 5C, a standard SC connector 30 is fittedwith an adapter jacket 31 having a contact 32 to yield an adapted SCconnector 33. Also, the SC connector sockets 35 have been fitted withadapter boards 34 with adapter contact points 36.

[0047] In FIGS. 6, 6A, 6B, and 6C, a standard ST connector 40 is fittedwith an adapter jacket 41 having a contact 42 to yield an adapted STconnector 44. Also, the ST connector sockets 45 have been fitted withadapter boards 44 with adapter contact points 46.

[0048] In FIGS. 7, 7A, 7B, and 7C, a standard BNC connector 50 is fittedwith an adapter jacket 51 having a contact 52 to yield an adapted BNCconnector 55. Also, the BNC connector sockets 55 have been fitted withadapter boards 54 with adapter contact points 56.

[0049] In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, theexternal contact 8 of the adapter jacket 7 (as shown in FIG. 1C) is inthe form of a contact pin 60 as shown in FIG. 10. In this embodiment,the pin 60 is slidably engaged in a barrel 62 which is placed inside theadapter jacket 64. The contact pin 60 is supported by a spring 66 whichresides inside the barrel 62 and provides tension to the pin 60 when itis depressed in the direction shown by the arrow 65. The tensionprovided by the spring 66 allows the contact pin 60 to make bettercontact with the socket contact 15 of the adapter board 14 (FIG. 2). Itshould be appreciated by those skilled in the art that although a springwas shown here, the spring 66 may be replaced with other devices thatcan provide the necessary tension to the pin 60.

[0050] In another embodiment of the present invention, the externalcontact is placed within the standardized jack itself. An example ofsuch an embodiment is shown in FIG. 11. Here, the contact pin 70 isplaced on the RJ45 jack 72 itself. Similar to the embodiment shown inFIG. 10, the contact pin 70 is slidably engaged in a barrel 74 and alsosupported by a spring 76. It is to be understood however, that it ispossible to have an external contact without the barrel 74 and thespring 76. In this embodiment, the socket contact is placed inside thesocket itself to make contact with the contact pin 70.

[0051] In yet another embodiment of the present invention, a flex tapemay be used to form an adapter strip 90, as shown in FIG. 12, which isan embodiment of the adapter board. The adapter strip 90 may be providedwith an adhesive such that it can be conveniently pasted adjacent to thesockets. The adapter strip 90 comprises a main body 92 and a headportion 93 which are fabricated from flex tape which is a commonsubstrate material currently being used to support electronic circuitry.The main body 92 has a plurality of contacts 94 which are spaced incorrespondence with the spacing of the data ports for which the adapterstrip is to be placed adjacent to. Two rows of contacts may be providedsuch as shown in FIG. 12 to accommodate two rows of ports located aboveand below the adapter strip 90. However, an adapter strip having only asingle row is clearly possible. Each contact 94 is connected by aconductor such as a wire which ends in a conductor strip 96 at the headportion 93. The wire strips 96 provide a convenient way to electricallymate the adapter strip 90 to the output 18 and input modules 19.

[0052] In yet another embodiment of the present invention, the socketcontact is in the form of a port or a socket which tightly mates withthe external contact. In yet another embodiment of the presentinvention, the adapter jacket is integrated with the standardizedmulticonductor cable.

[0053] The present invention may be embodied in other specific formswithout departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof.The presently disclosed embodiments are, therefore, to be considered inall respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of theinvention being indicated by the appended claims and all changes whichcome within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are,therefore, to be embraced therein.

What is claimed is:
 1. A system for determining connection pattern ofdata ports which are interconnected by multiconductor cables, said dataports each having a socket, and said multiconductor cables each having ajack at each end of the cable which mates with said socket, said systemcomprising: a socket contact positioned adjacent to said socket; anexternal contact provided for each jack, said external contact makingelectrical connection with said socket contact when the jack is matedwith said socket; at least one output signal driver electrically coupledto at least one socket contact, said output driver being operative tosend a signal to said socket contact; at least one input signal receiverelectrically coupled to at least one socket contact for receiving saidsignal sent by said output signal transducer; a micro-processor coupledto said output signal transducer and said input signal driver forcontrolling said signal sent by said output signal driver and fordetecting signals received by said input signal receiver, saidmicro-processor interpreting said signals to determine the connectionpattern of said data ports; and an output indicator coupled to saidmicro-processor for indicating the connection pattern of said data portsas determined by said micro-processor.
 2. The system as recited in claim1 wherein said micro-processor determines the connection pattern of saiddata ports by sending a signal to a socket contact and determining whichof the input signal receivers have received the signal, and repeatingthe process for every socket contact.
 3. The system as recited in claim1 wherein said multiconductor cable is a standardized cable.
 4. Thesystem as recited in claim 3 wherein said multiconductor cable is anRJ45 cable.
 5. The system as recited in claim 3 wherein saidmulticonductor cable is an RJ11 cable.
 6. A system for determiningconnection pattern of data ports which are interconnected bystandardized multiconductor cables, said data ports each having astandardized socket, and said multiconductor cables each having astandardized jack at each end of the cable which mates with said socket,said system comprising: a socket contact positioned adjacent to saidstandardized socket; an external contact provided for each standardizedjack, said external contact making electrical connection with saidsocket contact when the jack is mated with said socket; an output signaldriver uniquely coupled to each socket contact, said output driver beingoperative to send a signal to said socket contact; an input signalreceiver uniquely coupled to each said socket contact for receiving saidsignal sent by said output signal driver; a micro-processor coupled tosaid output signal driver and said input signal receiver for controllingsaid signal sent by said output signal driver and for detecting signalsreceived by said input signal receiver, said micro-processorinterpreting said signals to determine the connection pattern of saiddata ports; and an output indicator coupled to said micro-processor forindicating the connection pattern of said data ports as determined bysaid micro-processor.
 7. The system as recited in claim 6 wherein saidmicro-processor determines the connection pattern of said data ports bysending a signal to a socket contact and determining which of the inputsignal receivers have received the signal, and repeating said processfor every socket contact.
 8. A system for determining connection patternof data ports, said data ports each having a socket, said systemcomprising: a socket contact positioned adjacent to said socket; aplurality of muiticonductor cables interconnecting said data ports, saidmulticonductor cables each having a jack at each end of the cable whichmates with said socket, each of said jack having an external contact,said external contact making electrical connection with said socketcontact when the jack is mated with said socket; output signal driversuniquely coupled to each socket contact, said output drivers beingoperative to send a signal to said socket contact; input signalreceivers uniquely coupled to each said socket contact for receivingsaid signal sent by said output signal drivers; a micro-processorcoupled to said output signal drivers and said input signal receiversfor controlling said signal sent by said output signal drivers and fordetecting signals received by said input signal receivers, saidmicro-processor interpreting said signals to determine the connectionpattern of said data ports; and an output indicator coupled to saidmicro-processor for indicating the connection pattern of said data portsas determined by said micro-processor.
 9. The system as recited in claim8 wherein said micro-processor determines the connection pattern of saiddata ports by sending a signal to a socket contact and determining whichof the input signal receivers have received the signal, and repeatingthe process for every socket contact.
 10. The system as recited in claim8 wherein said multiconductor cable is a standardized cable.
 11. Thesystem as recited in claim 10 wherein said multiconductor cable is anRJ45 cable.
 12. The system as recited in claim 10 wherein saidmulticonductor cable is an RJ11 cable.
 13. A kit for determiningconnection pattern of data ports which are interconnected bystandardized multiconductor cables, said data ports each having astandardized socket, and said multiconductor cables each having astandardized jack at each end of the cable which mates with said socket,said kit comprising: a plurality of adapter boards having a plurality ofsocket contacts, said adapter boards to be placed adjacent to saidsocket; a plurality of adapter jackets to be fitted over saidstandardized jack, each of said adapter jackets having an externalcontact for electrically connecting with said socket contacts when saidadapter jacket is fitted over said standardized jack and saidstandardized jack is mated with said standardized socket; output signaldrivers to be uniquely coupled to each socket contact, said outputdrivers being operative to send a signal to said socket contact; inputsignal receivers to be uniquely coupled to each said socket contact forreceiving said signal sent by said output signal drivers; amicro-processor to be coupled to said output signal drivers and saidinput signal receivers for controlling said signal sent by said outputsignal drivers and for detecting signals received by said input signalreceivers, said micro-processor interpreting said signals to determinethe connection pattern of said data ports; and an output indicatorcoupled to said micro-processor for indicating the connection pattern ofsaid data ports as determined by said micro-processor.
 14. The kit asrecited in claim 1 wherein said micro-processor determines theconnection pattern of said data ports by sending a signal to a socketcontact and determining which of the input signal receivers havereceived the signal, and repeating the process for every socket contact.15. A kit for determining connection pattern of data ports, said dataports each having a standardized socket, said kit comprising: aplurality of adapter boards having a plurality of socket contacts, saidadapter boards to be placed adjacent to said socket; a plurality ofmulticonductor cables, said cables having a standardized jack at eachend, each of said jacks having an external contact for electricallyconnecting with said socket contacts when said jack is mated with saidsocket; output signal drivers to be uniquely coupled to each socketcontact, said output drivers being operative to send a signal to saidsocket contact; input signal receivers to be uniquely coupled to eachsaid socket contact for receiving said signal sent by said output signaldrivers; a micro-processor to be coupled to said output signal driversand said input signal receivers for controlling said signal sent by saidoutput signal drivers and for detecting signals received by said inputsignal receivers, said micro-processor interpreting said signals todetermine the connection pattern of said data ports; and an outputindicator coupled to said micro-processor for indicating the connectionpattern of said data ports as determined by said micro-processor. 16.The kit as recited in claim 3 wherein said micro-processor determinesthe connection pattern of said data ports by sending a signal to asocket contact and determining which of the input signal receivers havereceived the signal, and repeating the process for every socket contact.17. A system for determining connection pattern of data ports which areinterconnected by multiconductor cables, said data ports each having asocket, and said multiconductor cables each having a jack at each end ofthe cable which mates with said socket, said system comprising: a socketcontact positioned adjacent to said socket; an external contact providedfor each jack, said external contact making electrical connection withsaid socket contact when the jack is mated with said socket; adiagnostic pen with a tip; at least one output signal driverelectrically coupled to at least one socket contact, said output driverbeing operative to send a signal to said socket contact; at least oneinput signal receiver electrically coupled to at least one socketcontact for receiving said signal sent by said output signal transducer;a pen input signal receiver electrically coupled to said tip of saiddiagnostic pen; a micro-processor coupled to said output signal driver,said input signal driver, and said pen input signal receiver, saidmicro-processor controlling said signal sent by said output signaldriver and for detecting signals received by said input signal receiverand said pen input signal receiver, said micro-processor interpretingsaid signals to determine the connection pattern of said data ports; andan output indicator coupled to said micro-processor for indicating theconnection pattern of said data ports as determined by saidmicro-processor.
 18. The system as recited in claim 17 wherein saidmicro-processor determines the connection pattern of said data ports bysending a signal to a socket contact and determining which of the inputsignal receivers have received the signal, and repeating the process forevery socket contact.
 19. The system as recited in claim 17 wherein saidmulticonductor cable is a standardized cable.
 20. The system as recitedin claim 19 wherein said multiconductor cable is an RJ45 cable.
 21. Thesystem as recited in claim 19 wherein said multiconductor cable is anRJ11 cable.
 22. The system as recited in claim 17 wherein said externalcontact is a pin.
 23. The system as recited in claim 22 wherein said pinis supported by a spring.
 24. The system as recited in claim 17 furthercomprising: LCD units positioned adjacent to said sockets; and LCDdrivers coupled to said LCD units and said micro-processor.
 25. A kitfor determining connection pattern of data ports which areinterconnected by standardized multiconductor cables, said data portseach having a standardized socket, and said multiconductor cables eachhaving a standardized jack at each end of the cable which mates withsaid socket, said kit comprising: a plurality of adapter strips made offlex tape having a plurality of socket contacts, said adapter strips tobe placed adjacent to said socket; a plurality of adapter jackets to befitted over said standardized jack, each of said adapter jackets havingan external contact for electrically connecting with said socketcontacts when said adapter jacket is fitted over said standardized jackand said standardized jack is mated with said standardized socket;output signal drivers to be uniquely coupled to each socket contact,said output drivers being operative to send a signal to said socketcontact; input signal receivers to be uniquely coupled to each saidsocket contact for receiving said signal sent by said output signaldrivers; a micro-processor to be coupled to said output signal driversand said input signal receivers for controlling said signal sent by saidoutput signal drivers and for detecting signals received by said inputsignal receivers, said micro-processor interpreting said signals todetermine the connection pattern of said data ports; and an outputindicator coupled to said micro-processor for indicating the connectionpattern of said data ports as determined by said micro-processor. 26.The kit as recited in claim 25 wherein said micro-processor determinesthe connection pattern of said data ports by sending a signal to asocket contact and determining which of the input signal receivers havereceived the signal, and repeating the process for every socket contact.27. The kit as recited in claim 25 wherein said external contact is apin.
 28. The kit as recited in claim 27 wherein said pin is supported bya spring.
 29. The kit as recited in claim 25 wherein said adapter stripscomprise: a substrate having a main body and a head portion, saidsubstrate made of flex tape; a plurality of contacts placed on the mainbody, a spacing of said contacts corresponding to a spacing of said dataports; and a conductor connecting to each said contacts, said conductorending at said head portion.
 30. A kit for determining connectionpattern of data ports, said data ports each having a standardizedsocket, said kit comprising: a plurality of adapter strips having aplurality of socket contacts, said adapter strips to be placed adjacentto said socket; a plurality of multiconductor cables, said cables havinga standardized jack at each end, each of said jacks having an externalcontact for electrically connecting with said socket contacts when saidjack is mated with said socket; output signal drivers to be uniquelycoupled to each socket contact, said output drivers being operative tosend a signal to said socket contact; input signal receivers to beuniquely coupled to each said socket contact for receiving said signalsent by said output signal drivers; a micro-processor to be coupled tosaid output signal drivers and said input signal receivers forcontrolling said signal sent by said output signal drivers and fordetecting signals received by said input signal receivers, said microprocessor interpreting said signals to determine the connection patternof said data ports; and an output indicator coupled to saidmicro-processor for indicating the connection pattern of said data portsas determined by said micro-processor.
 31. The kit as recited in claim30 wherein said micro-processor determines the connection pattern ofsaid data ports by sending a signal to a socket contact and determiningwhich of the input signal receivers have received the signal, andrepeating the process for every socket contact.
 32. The kit as recitedin claim 30 wherein said external contact is a pin.
 33. The kit asrecited in claim 32 wherein said pin is supported by a spring.
 34. Thekit as recited in claim 30 wherein said adapter strips comprise: asubstrate having a main body and a head portion, said substrate made offlex tape; a plurality of contacts placed on the main body, a spacing ofsaid contacts corresponding to a spacing of said data ports; and aconductor connecting to each said contacts, said conductor ending atsaid head portion.
 35. A system for determining connection pattern ofdata ports which are interconnected by standardized multiconductorcables, said data ports each having a standardized socket, and saidmutticonductor cables each having a standardized jack at each end of thecable which mates with said socket, said system comprising: a socketcontact positioned inside said standardized socket; an external contactprovided for each standardized jack, said external contact makingelectrical connection with said socket contact when the jack is matedwith said socket; an output signal driver uniquely coupled to eachsocket contact, said output driver being operative to send a signal tosaid socket contact; an input signal receiver uniquely coupled to eachsaid socket contact for receiving said signal sent by said output signaldriver; a micro-processor coupled to said output signal driver and saidinput signal receiver for controlling said signal sent by said outputsignal driver and for detecting signals received by said input signalreceiver, said micro-processor interpreting said signals to determinethe connection pattern of said data ports; and an output indicatorcoupled to said micro-processor for indicating the connection pattern ofsaid data ports as determined by said micro-processor.
 36. An adapterstrip for providing a socket contact for data ports comprising: asubstrate having a main body and a head portion, said substrate made offlex tape; a plurality of contacts placed on the main body, a spacing ofsaid contacts corresponding to a spacing of said data ports; and aconductor connecting to each said contacts, said conductor ending atsaid head portion.